I am shocked, amazed, flabbergasted, AGHAST at the amount of salt that is generously laden all over, in, throughout our food - and our baby's food too! Recently, a friend passed along an article to me (read here) about Gerber toddler meals and their ridiculously high sodium content. This really got me thinking about all of the salt found in our everyday diets, not just the table salt that we shake on our eggs in the morning, but all of the hidden salt within our foods that most of us would be shocked to know about.
Our bodies do require a small amount of sodium and in must older times, that sodium was found readily through natural fruit and vegetable diets. Back then, the fruit and veggies that our ancestors subsisted on gave them the 4:1 ratio of potassium to sodium that the human body requires to function. Today that ratio has been reversed and the average person is taking in a 4:1 ratio of sodium to potassium - an indication of our reliance on convenience foods, heavy handed table salt shaking, and a drastically reduced amount of fruit and vegetables in our everyday diet. For us, this has led to health problems including mineral imbalance and water retention, and, of course, heart disease. For children, it is a problem because their kidneys do not cope well with a lot of added salt.
Some of the main culprits in our regular diets include:
Canned beans: I have yet to come across a can of beans that didn't contain salt (please let me know if you have found some!). The healthy alternative would be to soak and cook your own dried beans.
Canned vegetables: Same goes for these! Recently, quite a few companies have started canning "no salt added" tomatoes, but as for the rest, salt salt salt. Alternatives would be to eat fresh or frozen where fresh isn't an option.
Kid's convenience foods: As referenced in the article linked above, Gerber toddler meals contain upwards of 550mg of sodium (a medium order of McDonald's french fries contains 270mg). Other salty culprits include: Lunchables (up to 1160mg of sodium!!!), boxed mac and cheese, boxed cereals, crackers, and bread.
Canned soups: An unbelievable amount of sodium goes into these products. It is definitely worth it to make your own. This includes instant noodles and pre-packaged stocks as well.
The most important thing is to just be informed. Have a look at the package before purchasing it and keep in mind that the % of daily value amount is for an adult. Wherever possible, feed your kids (and yourself) fresh, homemade foods so that you know exactly what their getting. Get to know your products and ingredients and know which ones are good for you and your family - check out the Heart and Stroke Foundation's website here for more information.
